Chapter 282
I stiffened, and instantly the palpitations in my heart ceased. I self-deprecatingly tugged at my lips. How could I forget Kimberly's presence? Just now, I was so lost in Reynaldo's deep, husky voice that I almost opened up to him.
Reynaldo still stared at me intently. I pushed his chest and whispered, “Ms. Palmer is here.”
“Esmeralda!”
Reynaldo frowned and insisted, “You answer the question I just asked first!”
“What answer do you want to hear? You tell me.”
I looked up at him. Our eyes met; his were dark and deep, and finally, a hint of coldness slowly gathered.
“What do you mean?”
I lowered my eyes and said lightly, “It doesn’t mean anything. I just wanted to say that whatever answer Mr. Humphrey wants to hear, I will say that answer.”
“Esmeralda!”
Reynaldo growled low, and the hand on my shoulder tightened. I frowned in pain, forcing a smile as I said, “Mr. Humphrey, it’s strange that I gave you the answer you wanted to hear, and yet you’re still angry.”
“What is your inner answer then?”
He stared at me, his eyes as black as a bottomless pit, easily able to suck in a person’s soul. I avoided eye contact and muttered, “I didn’t have any answers in my heart, but if Mr. Humphrey really likes me as his secretary, it would be my honor.”
How ridiculous. The person in his heart is still here. He went so far as to deliberately tempt me into admitting that I liked him. If I admitted it, would he just mock me with Kimberly and push me into the abyss mercilessly? In the confusion of emotions, I might have coldly told him my inner thoughts. Kimberly was here, and I had to face a reality: he liked Kimberly and disliked me.
So, in this situation, how could I admit my feelings for him? Isn't that humiliating myself? Reynaldo’s face was extremely dark, and his large hand almost crushed my shoulder. He sneered coldly, with self-mockery, “Sure enough, was it just my wishful thinking again?”
I don’t know if it was just my imagination, but there was a hint of brokenness in his smile, and disappointment and sadness in his eyes. But why was he disappointed and sad? My heart trembled involuntarily, and I really wanted to ask him, in person, whether he really liked me or not. Why is it that whenever I feel he dislikes me so much, he always shows me such misleading emotions? And when I thought he cared about me, he could hurt me badly for Kimberly. I really wanted to ask him these doubts in person.
He chuckled self-deprecatingly and suddenly released my shoulder. When he walked away, I instinctively grabbed his hand. His body stiffened slightly, and his eyes lit up a bit. I licked my lips and looked at him seriously. “Reynaldo, actually I have always wanted to ask you a question.”
Reynaldo stared at me intently, waiting for my next words.
“It’s you who told me the truth, you who swore to me, you who…”
“Ah, Reynaldo…”
I was halfway through speaking when Kimberly suddenly stumbled over, clutching her chest with one hand and holding onto Reynaldo’s arm with the other. Her face was pale as she said, “Reynaldo, my chest suddenly hurts… hiss, ah… Reynaldo…”
Reynaldo lowered his gaze and quickly supported her, saying, “What’s wrong?”
Kimberly shook her head and spoke with difficulty, “You, you don’t need to worry about me… I just need to take some medicine…”
“I’m sorry, Reynaldo, I, I always bother you, I’m sorry…”